1. What are the important Factors Leading to the Rise of the Shang Dynasty?
-The loess (fine soil) on the Yellow River, which makes the plains fertile and suitable for farming, allows the growth of many villages which led to the rise of the Shang dynasty.
-A citadel was built with a large fort to shelter people from attacks on the city. The cities were well run; well planned, with a system of streets and separate areas for workers and rulers. Temples and storage houses for food - a granary, were built at the capital. The granary store grains like wheat, barley and oat.
-The Shang king had great power. He was believed to have the power to rule from heaven because he was the son of the Heavenly god.
-Majority of the Shang people were farmers. They grew millet, barley, wheat, rice and hemp. The Shang were also skilled craftsmen who were good at bronze casting, pottery making and silk making. The silk was then traded with other traders from other parts of India, Mesopotamia and Egypt.
-The Shang writing system had more than 3000 characters. They are called pictographic writing or pictograms. Pictograms can be seen on bronze vessels and oracle bones. The writing then became the Chinese characters used today.
-The Shang Dynasty was also known as the Bronze Age of China. The Shang people were skilled craftsmen in bronze casting. Advanced technologies were then used to make weapons, wine cups and jars.
2. What are the factors which lead to the Downfall of the Shang Dynasty?
-Constant wars that the Shang kings fought.
-The last Shang king was killed; he probably had no children to take over his throne. Therefore, the Shang dynasty ended as nobody in the same family could rule the place.
-When the Shang army was weakened as they won the fight with the Shantung province in the east, the neighbouring state of Zhou quickly seized the chance to attack the Shang.
-The Zhous defeated the Shang and established the Western Zhou Dynasty.
-The loess (fine soil) on the Yellow River, which makes the plains fertile and suitable for farming, allows the growth of many villages which led to the rise of the Shang dynasty.
-A citadel was built with a large fort to shelter people from attacks on the city. The cities were well run; well planned, with a system of streets and separate areas for workers and rulers. Temples and storage houses for food - a granary, were built at the capital. The granary store grains like wheat, barley and oat.
-The Shang king had great power. He was believed to have the power to rule from heaven because he was the son of the Heavenly god.
-Majority of the Shang people were farmers. They grew millet, barley, wheat, rice and hemp. The Shang were also skilled craftsmen who were good at bronze casting, pottery making and silk making. The silk was then traded with other traders from other parts of India, Mesopotamia and Egypt.
-The Shang writing system had more than 3000 characters. They are called pictographic writing or pictograms. Pictograms can be seen on bronze vessels and oracle bones. The writing then became the Chinese characters used today.
-The Shang Dynasty was also known as the Bronze Age of China. The Shang people were skilled craftsmen in bronze casting. Advanced technologies were then used to make weapons, wine cups and jars.
2. What are the factors which lead to the Downfall of the Shang Dynasty?
-Constant wars that the Shang kings fought.
-The last Shang king was killed; he probably had no children to take over his throne. Therefore, the Shang dynasty ended as nobody in the same family could rule the place.
-When the Shang army was weakened as they won the fight with the Shantung province in the east, the neighbouring state of Zhou quickly seized the chance to attack the Shang.
-The Zhous defeated the Shang and established the Western Zhou Dynasty.
